Chris Tanev will be out for the remainder of the season after the Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman had core muscle surgery on Wednesday.
Tanev has missed the past 23 games with a groin injury. The 36-year-old is expected to be ready for training camp in September.
He also missed 27 of 28 games from Oct. 24-Dec. 21 because of an upper-body injury, which included being taken off the ice on a stretcher against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1.
"He wanted to try to come back and play this year, but it didn't work out," Toronto coach Craig Berube said prior to its game at the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). "He got the operation and it went successful, and he'll be ready for camp next year."
Tanev had two assists in 11 games this season. He is in the second of a six-year, $27 million contract ($4.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2024.
Signed by the Vancouver Canucks as an undrafted free agent on May 31, 2010, Tanev has 210 points (36 goals, 174 assists) in 878 regular-season games for the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and Maple Leafs and 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 73 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Toronto (27-24-10) is seventh in the Atlantic Division, nine points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
NHL.com senior draft writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report
